16 Juli 2016

Main Battle Tanks will Stengthen Russian Airborne Forces

16 Juli 2016

T-72B3 main battle tanks, weight 46 tonnes (photo : immortaltoday)Airborne Forces with T-72B3 tank will create up to year-endMOSCOW / TASS / - Formation of tank corps equipped with "biathlon" T-72B3, will begin in the Airborne Troops of Russia in the second half of 2016, he told Tass source in the Russian Defense Ministry."Since the second half of the year will start forming tank companies with tanks T-72B3, they expand to tank battalions in the next two years", - said the source.

Il-76 airlifter could carry one of T-72 main battle tanks (photo : sdelanounas)Official confirmation of these data has not available.Earlier, the commander of the Airborne Troops Vladimir Shamanov said that six tank corps will be in the Airborne troops before the end of 2015. Why is the delay in the formation of new units, the source did not elaborate.

Fourth generation of Il-76 airlifter (also known as Il-476 or Il-76 MD 90A). This new version airlifter have 60 tonnes payload (photo : Vlad Perminoff)T-72B3 - the latter at the moment version of the tank T-72 modernization. From predecessors, this model is characterized, in particular, a new sighting equipment and communication systems, dynamic protection "Relic", a more powerful engine. The fame of this version of the T-72 was due to participate in the competition "Tank Biathlon." (TASS)

T-72B3 Main Battle TankThe T-72B3 is a recent Russian upgrade of the ageing T-72B tanks. It can be seen as a low-cost alternative to the T-72B2 Rogatka upgrade to keep older T-72B tanks operational. Refurbished and upgraded T-72B3 tanks are fitted with new engine, new gunners sight, new fire control system and have some other improvements. Now this MBT has a hunter-killer capability.Protection of the upgraded tank was slightly improved. The T-72B3 is fitted with built-in Kontakt-5 explosive reactive armor. The same armor is used by the T-80U, T-90 and some other main battle tanks. This armor can effectively defeat most older APFSDS rounds.The tank is armed with the same 125-mm smoothbore-gun as its predecessor. However autoloader of the T-72B3 has some modifications and can use newly-developed munitions. This tank can launch 9M119 Svir or 9M119M Refleks anti-tank guided missiles in the same manner as ordinary projectiles. Western reporting name for both missiles is AT-11 Sniper. A total of 45 rounds are carried, 22 rounds are stored in the autoloader and ready to use, while remaining are stored inside the hull.

There is a coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun and roof-mounted 12.7-mm machine gun. The roof-mounted 12.7-mm machine gun is controlled manually by the vehicle commander. See full article at Military Today

Il-76 cabin dimension, width of ramp door 345cm, Il-76MD-90A series up to 60 tonnes payload (image : aircharter)Russia to fill gap left by An-70 with more Il-76MD-90A airliftersRussia is to fill the gap left in its strategic airlift capabilities by the abandonment of the Antonov An-70 project with Ukraine with additional numbers of the Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A, a senior service official said on 13 January.The Russian Air Force (Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily - VVS) is to receive an undisclosed extra number of the newly introduced Il-76MD-90A to offset at least some of the 60 An-70s that the service was due to induct, of which more than 12 were to be handed over by 2020, the commander of the Military Transport Aviation, Lieutenant General Victor Benedictine, reportedly told Russian journalists.Co-development of the An-70 with Ukraine was ceased in early 2014 following the breakdown in relations between the two countries over the ousting of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych and Russia's subsequent invasion and annexation of Crimea. With relations no better some two years later, Russia appears now to have abandoned the four-engined turboprop aircraft entirely, in favour of its own upgraded jet airlifter.The VVS has received the first of 30 Il-76MD-90A aircraft that are expected to be delivered by 2020. Also referred to as the Il-476, the Il-76MD-90A is an upgraded variant of the Soviet-era Il-76 'Candid' that features a digital 'glass' cockpit as well as modernised flight, navigation, and communication systems. Structural improvements include a modified wing and reinforced landing gear. The engines have also been updated, giving the aircraft a 60-tonne payload (up from 40 tonnes for the baseline Il-76) and a 12% reduced fuel consumption.The upgraded platform can fly up to 8,500 km with a 20-tonne payload (or 4,100 km with a 50-tonne load), which compares favourably to the 6,598 km with a 20-tonne payload of the An-70. The Il-76MD-90A has a 60-tonne payload compared with 47 tonnes for the An-70.Previously the VVS has stated a requirement for 100 such aircraft (as well as about 40 Il-76MD-90A-derived Il-478 tankers and an expected 20 A-100 Airborne Warning And Control System [AWACS] platforms), of which 30 have so far been contracted. (Jane's)